The AI + Design wave has arrived: Making sense of the 2026 AI + Design Report
Summary
Launched just a few weeks ago, AI in Design 2026 is one of the largest studies to date examining how AI is reshaping design teams, craft, and tools. Published by Designer Fund and Foundation Capital, the report explores questions many design leaders and practitioners are asking right now: Which AI tools are seeing the most adoption? How are design workflows evolving? Are hiring expectations and team structures changing in meaningful ways? In this session, Ben Blumenrose will unpack the report’s key findings and discuss what they may mean for the future of design. The research draws on survey responses from more than 900 designers across 60+ countries, alongside in-depth interviews with the design teams at Anthropic, Framer, Linear, Notion, Shopify, Sierra, and Stripe.
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